Justin Lane/EPADevin Harris will be playing in the NBA All-Star game for the first time.

ATLANTA -- The experience is likely to change him -- as it would almost anyone else -- but Devin Harris cannot fully comprehend it yet.

He can only guess the consequences of being given the chance to dazzle on TV screens in 100-plus countries, or being personally transformed into -- to use the marketer's loathsome phrase -- a global brand.

But others have a better idea of how All-Stardom could be a life-changing, career-affirming experience.

"Absolutely," Vince Carter said, as he pondered the profound impact the All-Star experience will have on his Nets teammate. "Just the experience itself: He's an All-Star. You know, it's one thing getting the bid, but it's another thing actually playing in the game, then coming home and the whole world watching -- that one game.

"It just makes you feel (different) in some kind of way. It's hard to explain. I don't care how many years you do it, coming back from the game on Sunday is a great feeling. Everybody's watching."

Harris got word of his selection in a text message from his boss, Rod Thorn, early Thursday evening. His first call was to his parents. His mailbox has been carpetbombed with congratulatory messages ever since.

But he still doesn't think it will change him, other than in the one area where he doesn't really need change:

"Hopefully, it just keeps building the confidence, building that swagger and confidence level," Harris said, as his team prepared for its game against the Hawks Friday night. "And hopefully, come back playing at a higher level."

He actually could stand a boost in efficiency, because January hasn't been kind to him. The injuries -- strained hamstring, bruised rib -- have led to a mediocre month, one in which he's averaged only 16.5 points on .386 shooting. Those numbers are skewed, however, by his sitting out the second halves of two games.

But as the month began he was on his way to establishing himself as perhaps the best point guard in the East, a turbocharged blur who took full advantage of an offense that was tailor-made for him. In some ways, he not only turned the league on its ear; he and coach Lawrence Frank made others rethink the NBA offense.

Harris thought the All-Stardom was a possibility a few weeks ago, but he concedes, "I hadn't been playing at the level I'd been playing at earlier in the season. I've been struggling a little bit the last week or so. I was hoping that my name would be called."

He had a lot of people hoping the same thing.

"He's shown great growth as a player," Frank said. "The coaches acknowledged the impact he's had. It's a special, significant individual honor. There's a lot of hard work he's put in. I think it's also a credit to the assistant coaches and his teammates.

"I think anytime you're an All-Star, you never get there alone. His teammates accept their role, so Devin can do what he does and buying into that, plus supporting him throughout. And the assistant coaches have done a great job of working with him on a daily basis. But it comes down to him."

"I'm glad he's getting this opportunity," Carter said. "He's having a great year, first and foremost. He's gotten the opportunity to show what he can do, and being recognized by the coaches is wonderful. He's been playing off the charts all year. I'm just glad it didn't go unrecognized."

Carter went unrecognized, and he has admitted recently that an All-Star nod would have meant more this time around, if only to acknowledge the way he's kept the league's eighth-youngest team in the playoff chase through his leadership.

"But I'm not going to go crazy over it -- if you get the bid, you get the bid, and if you don't, you don't," he said. "I'll watch like everybody else. I'd love to be on it, I wanted to play. But it didn't happen."

"I truly felt that Vince was an All-Star as well," said Frank. "I think it's more an indictment of our record. I think Vince has had as good a year as anybody. When you consider the circumstances, you can make a strong argument that this is one of his best years. But I don't want to diminish or take away from Devin, especially when it's your first time. It's really a special achievement."